Suction cleaner



Dec. 22, 1931. a g; BECKER 1,837,315

SUCTION CLEANER FiledFeb. 28, 1929 Patented Dec. 22, 1931 BERNARD G. BECKER, OF

PATENT OFFICE CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOOVER COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF OHIO SUCTION OLEANER This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to an improved means for indicatin the nozzle height of a suction cleaner relatlve to the surface covering undergoing cleaning.

It is common practice in the manufacture of suction cleaners to support the forward or nozzle-end of the cleaner upon fixedly attached rollers or wheels and to provide one or more supporting wheels positioned towards the rear of the machine. The raising or lowering of the nozzle relative to the surface coverin or object undergoing cleaning is accomplis ed by the vertical movement of the rear supporting wheel or wheels relative to the frame of the cleaner which functions to pivot the cleaner upon the axis of the forward wheels and so adjust the nozzle.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new and improved nozzle-height indicating means for adjusting means adapted to raise and lower the nozzle relative to the floor covering. A further object of this invention is the provision of a simplified nozzle adjustment means provided with a visible nozzle-height indicator in a horizontal plane. The foregoing and other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in the different figures of which the same reference characters refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner showing the application of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear view of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2 with certain parts removed to better disclose the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top elevation of the present invention with certain parts broken away.

, Referring now to Fig. 1 in particular a suc-' tion cleaner indicated generally by reference character 1 is disclosed which has a motor housing 2, a fan chamber 3, an intake-nozzle 4, and a discharge outlet 5. The fan chamber 3, the intake-nozzle 4 and the discharge outlet 5 are ordinarily cast as a unit and form a Application filed February as, 1929. Serial No. 343,464.

rigid frame which is supported at its forward end by supporting wheels 6, 6, of which only one is shown, positioned immediately in the rear of the intake-nozzle. The supporting wheels 6,6 are supported upon fixed axes and are not vertically movable relative to the cleaner.

Spaced rearwardly of the front supporting wheels 6, 6 and preferably therebetween is a pair of axially spaced rear supporting wheels 7, 7. The raising and lowering of the nozzle 4 relative to the surface covering is accomplished by the raising and lowering of the rear wheels 7, 7 relative to the frame of the cleaner resulting in its being pivoted about the axis of the forward wheels 6, 6. The means for accomplishing the raising and lowering of wheels 7, 7 and for indicating their position relative to the cleaner and so the height of the nozzle forms the subject matter of the present invention.

The rear portion of the frame of the cleaner is supported upon the wheels 7, 7

which are secured beneath the discharge 5 by means of a bracket or base 8 attached thereto. The lower end of the bracket 8 carries a pivot pin 9 on which is mounted a link 10 .having a main ortion 11 which provides a bearing in WlllCll is mounted the L- shaped member 12 constituting the combined rear wheel mounting and anadjusting or connecting member. The lower end of the member 12 extends through the hearing 11 of the link 10 and the supporting wheels 7, 7 are mounted thereon at the opposite sides of said link. The upper end of the L-shaped member 12 is threaded as at 13 and functions as hereinafter described.

Positioned upon the rear of the bracket 8 is the L-shaped standard 14 secured thereto by means of the rivet 15. The member 14 is made of flat material as distinguished from the L-shaped member 12 which is circular in cross section. Pivotally secured to the upper end of the standard 14 by means of a rivet 16 is a third L-shaped member 17 which forms a continuation of member 14 and which has an upper horizontal portion. The upper horizontal portion of 17' is provided with an opening 18 in which is rotatably mounted an adjusting nut indicated by the reference character 19. The member 17 is provided with a sector of greater radius than the nut 19 seated thereon 1n the opening 18 and so provides a horizontal face visible from above upon which is inscribed a scale or suitable markings (see Figure 4) for a purpose hereinafter described. The adjusting nut 19 is provided at its top with a closure cap 20 and at its bottom with a reduced downwardly extending bearing portion 21 extending through the opening 18 of the L-shaped member 17. Positioned upon the bearing portion 21 of the nut 19 below the horizontal surface of the member 17 are washers 22, 23 and 24 which are secured in position by peening the bottom end of the portion 21. The washers are maintained adjacent one another by the action of the springthrust washer 25 positioned between the nut 19 and the member 17 on the upper side of said member which functions to force the nut 19 away from said surface and so tends to draw the portion 21 up through the opening 18 thereby maintaining the washers 22, 23 and 24 in close relation. The washer 23 is smaller in diameter than washers 22 and 24 which are positioned on either side of it for a purpose hereinafter described. The nut 19 including the portion 21 is screw-threaded interiorly and is adapted to receive the screwthreaded end of member 12 which extends in operative relation.

Positioned upon and enclosing a section of the member 12 is the height-indicating member 26 provided at its upper end with inward- 1y extending fingers 27 which extend between the washers 22 and 24 and enclose the washer 23, said washer serving as a bearing. Extending upwardly, outwardly and beside the edge of the sector of member 17, which is provided with a scale, is the indicating finger 28. Provided in the body of the member 26 is a groove 29 which seats and provides a keyway for the projecting lug 30 on the member 12 In adjusting the nozzle height of a cleaner provided with the present invention the operation is simple and visible means indicate the extent thereof. To perform the operation it is only necessary to manually rotate the adjusting nut 19. Rotation of the nut 19 serves either to move the member 12 upwardly or force it downwardly, depending upon the direction of rotation of said nut. Free movement of the nut 19 upon the threaded end of member 12 is revented by friction provided by thrust-was er 25. As the member 12 is raised or lowered relative to the nut 19, which is permanently positioned relative to the cleaner through 1ts supporting means 14 and 17, the wheels 7, 7, which are adjustable about the pivot 9, are raised or lowered relative to the bracket 8 and so relative to the frame of the supported cleaner. As the adjustment takes place the lug 30 moves, with the member 12, relative to the indicating member 26 which is supported by the nut 19 as aforedescribed. As the lug 30 is raised or lowered it moves vertically in the spiral groove 29 of the member 26 thereby forcing said member to rotate. As the member 26 rotates the indicating finger 28 projecting at the side of the scaled sector of the member 17 rotates thereabout and indicates by'its position relative thereto the height relation of the supporting wheels 7, 7 relative to the bracket 8 which supportsthe rear of the cleaner and accordingly indicates the position of the nozzle 4 as aforedescribed.

It is seen from the foregoing that a simple and convenient means for nozzle-height adjustment has been provided which may be made as a unit and as such applied to the cleaner, such application requiring only the attaching of the bracket 8 to the under-surface of the cleaner frame. The invention is characterized by reduction in the number of necessary parts and by its simplicity of operation.

I claim:

1. In a castor-height-indicating device for a castor-adjusting device including a bracket and a standard positioned on said bracket and a supporting element pivoted on the bracket, a connecting member connected to said supporting element and movable relative to said standard, said connecting member having a threaded portion, a threaded nut rotatably mounted on said standard and enclosing the threaded portion of said connecting member, a rotatable indicating member supported by said nut and enclosing said connecting member, and means to rotate said indicating member relative to said standard as said connecting member is moved relative thereto.

2. A castor-height-indicating device for a castor-adjusting device of the type in which a supporting element is moved relative to a base member by means of a connecting member provided with a screw threaded portion and a threaded rotatable nut mounted on said base member, said indicating device comprising a scale carried by said base member, a rotatable height-indicating member rotatably mounted relative to said base member and enclosing said connecting member, and means to rotate said height-indicating member relative to said base member and therefore to said scale upon the movement of said connecting member.

3. A castor-height-indicating device for a castor-adjusting device of the type in which a supporting element is moved relative to a base member by means of a connecting member provided with a screw threaded portion and a threaded rotatable nut mounted on said base member, said indicating device comprising a scale "carried by said base member, a ro- E tatable height-indicating member rotatably mounted relative to said base member and enclosing said connection member, and means to rotate said height-indicating member relative to said base member and therefore to said scale upon the movement of said connecting member, said means comprising a projecting lugon said connecting member and a groove in the indicating member in which said lug is adapted to slide.

4. In a castor-height-indicating device for a castor-adjusting device of the type in which a supporting element is vertically adjustable relative to a base, an indicating scale supported by said base, an indicating member rotatably mounted relative to said scale, and means to rotate said indicating member upon the movement of said supporting element relative to said base. i

5. In a castor-height-indicating device for 1 a suction-cleaner-castor-adjusting device ineluding pivoted supporting means, a vertically movable element connected to said supporting means, an indicating scale in a horizontal plane, and means for indicating the position of said movable element and so the supporting means on said scale.

6. In a castor-height-indicating device for a suction cleaner havinga castor height-adjusting device, a height-indicating scale in a horizontal plane, a vertically adjustable member, a projecting lug on said member, a vertically-stationary indicating finger-member enclosing said member and provided with a spiral groove seating said lug, said indicating member adapted to rotate as said lug moves in said groove, said finger moving relative to said scale.

7. In a castor-height-indicating device for a castor-adj usting device of the type in which i a castor is pivotally supported on abracket on which is mounted a standard which rotatably supports an adjusting nut in screw threaded relation with a connecting member to said castor, an indicating scale in a horizontal plane carried by said standard, an indicating member enclosing said connection member and having a finger pointing to said scale, and means torotate said indicating member as said castors are moved relative to said bracket.

8. In a suction cleaner of the type comprising a main body having a supporting element movably mounted relative thereto and means to vary the position of said supporting element, means to indicate the position of said supporting element relative to said body comprising a scale in a horizontal plane and a pointer, and means effecting relative movement between said scale and said pointer upon the movement of said supporting element.

9. In a suction cleaner of the type comprising a main body having a supporting element movably mounted relative thereto and means 

